Nationalist Congress Party leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri on Tuesday met Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf and demanded that apart from area legislators, MPs and municipal councillors be allowed to endorse the list of beneficiaries for cash transfer under the Dilli Annashree Yojana.
Giving exclusive rights to MLAs would lead to injustice in dispensation of the subsidy component and end up in politicising the entire programme. “A mechanism should be put in place to ensure that this scheme reaches the targeted beneficiaries and only those who require or deserve the subsidy of Rs. 600 a month. The scheme should not be allowed to be misused by vested interests,” said Mr. Bidhuri, who is also president of the Delhi Vikas Morcha.
On the other hand, the Delhi Council of the Communist Party of India said it was unfortunate that instead of implementing the universal rationing system and providing ration cards to all, the Delhi government had opted for cash transfer. “It is shying away from the responsibility of providing food security to all people in Delhi. The CPI demands that instead of playing a crude joke on people the Delhi government should provide ration cards to all and ensure complete food security to the poor and the needy,” a CPI statement said.
